Bill Self Pivots From Late Night Statement as He Reveals Strong Message to Zeke Mayo

As a player, everyone has off days. But, not all of them are taken too kindly by fans. What started as a rough night on the court for Zeke Mayo and the Kansas Jayhawks soon turned into a storm he couldn’t escape. The Kansas senior guard became the target of relentless online attacks, forcing the Head Coach to step in. But in trying to protect his player, Bill Self’s response only intensified the spotlight. Realizing the weight of the moment, he knew Mayo needed more than just defense—he needed a lesson in survival.

According to a newsletter by Seth Davis, Self had a clear message for Mayo: “You’ve got to stay off of it. You’ve got to stay away from it. Because if you don’t, it can just consume you.” and this lesson came when Mayo, a 6-foot-4 senior guard from Lawrence, found himself struggling—scoring just 5 points on 1-of-7 shooting in a frustrating 78-73 home loss to Texas Tech.

Frustrated, Mayo checked his social media, only to be met with relentless criticism, including racist abuse. He responded with an emotional apology to Kansas fans: “I 100% deserve all the criticism in the world.”

Shortly after, Mayo deleted his Twitter account, overwhelmed by the backlash. Seeing the toll it had taken on his player, Self did what great coaches do—he stepped in, deflecting the criticism onto himself and shielding his player from the storm.

However, by Sunday night, Self had to take a pivot. “I shouldn’t have done it, because all it did was bring more attention to what was said,” he admitted in a phone interview with Hoops HQ. “I feel like there’s been some unfair personal attacks and criticism, but not by people that matter. A lot of that comes from people who are not KU fans. They’re gambling and lost a bet or whatever. ”

This realization marked a broader issue for Self—college athletes, especially those in high-profile programs, are no longer viewed as students but commodities. The combination of social media and the professionalization of college sports (NIL) has blurred the lines between expectation and reality.

“This is the world that we live in now. Everything is fair game these days,” Self said. “People don’t look at them as amateurs at all anymore. These guys are pros and they’re getting paid to do a job. And trust me, they may say they understand that, but they don’t. It’s a different world for them. It’s a different pressure.”

Betting is still prevalent in the sport. And, losing hard-earned money to a side you favored might not be a matter of concern for the players, the team, or the coach, but to fans it is. Match favorites are decided through favoring charts of bet brokers rather than player analysis. This is something bothering the Kansas team now.

As the Jayhawks try to steady themselves, the Arizona Wildcats enter their Big 12 showdown as 3.5-point favorites over Kansas State, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. Arizona sits at -170 on the moneyline, while Kansas State is a +140 underdog.

At this point, what Kansas needs most is breathing room. The support of its fanbase will be crucial as the team works to rediscover the form that once made them a legitimate title contender. Early in the season, they looked poised for a deep March run, riding high in the rankings by Week 7. But fast forward to March 3, 2025, and the Jayhawks have tumbled down to No. 21 in the KenPom rankings. They need to block the noise and try their hardest now, but let’s take a look at what the reason behind Kansas’ drop in form was?

Self & the Jayhawks: The Kansas conundrum—does defense really win championships?

The numbers tell a story of inconsistency. Kansas boasts a defensive efficiency rating (DRtg) of 92.2, ranked sixth nationally—an elite number. But their offensive efficiency (115.4) sits at a pedestrian 59th. In other words, when their defense is locked in, they look unstoppable. But when it crumbles, it crumbles hard.

Bill Self, never one to mince words, summed it up perfectly, “Our defense has been so freaking good this year, but when it’s been bad, it’s been horrible.”

And he’s right. Kansas has held opponents to under 50 points multiple times this season, including a suffocating performance against Iowa State. But then, there are nights like the Texas Tech disaster, where they surrendered a barrage of 15 three-pointers. It’s been a rollercoaster with no in-between.

Their schedule strength (SOS) of 14.39 suggests they’ve faced tough competition, but great teams find ways to grind out wins. The Jayhawks? Not so much.

Just when Kansas needed a statement win to stabilize themselves, they delivered another shaky performance, falling 65-59 to the Houston Cougars. The game followed an all-too-familiar script: solid defense, but an offense that sputtered when it mattered most.

Zeke Mayo had a mixed outing—showing some flashes of improvement but also committing six turnovers. His final stat line: 7 points (3-6 FG), 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 assist in 34 minutes. Decent? Sure. But Kansas needed more.

Then there’s the turnover problem. Kansas coughed the ball up 20 times to Houston’s six. No team is winning games like that. Houston made them pay, scoring 18 points off turnovers—more than enough to swing the game.

Bill Self knows what it takes to win in March. Defense, rebounding, and hitting at least 70 points. But does this Kansas team have the consistency to pull it off?

With Selection Sunday looming, their stock is slipping fast. They can still salvage their season, but time is running out. Off the court, the noise is growing. Kansas fans are restless. The media chatter is relentless. And Self, a veteran of these battles, learned a valuable lesson over the weekend: “The worst thing you can do is let the outside voices know they’re being heard.”

Kansas has the talent to make a run. But right now, they don’t look like a team built for March.

Can they flip the switch before it’s too late?